The Storm -- the latest BlackBerry aimed at the broad retail market with service from Verizon-- comes with a touch screen that depresses slightly when it is pressed, RIM said. This version of the BlackBerry will place RIM as a company more directly in competition with Apple and its popular iPhone.

TORONTO (Reuters)
- Research In Motion will roll out a touch-screen model of its
BlackBerry smartphone later this fall, thrusting it into direct
competition with Apple's popular iPhone.

RIM said on Wednesday the BlackBerry Storm will be available
exclusively to Verizon Wireless subscribers in the U.S. and Vodafone
subscribers in Europe, India, Australia and New Zealand.

RIM's launch of a touch-screen BlackBerry is not a surprise.
Technology bloggers and analysts have speculated since early this year
that the Waterloo, Ontario-based company was working on such a device.
And late last month, Verizon Wireless sent out a promotional e-mail
that heralded its arrival.

The Storm -- the latest BlackBerry aimed at the broad retail market
-- comes with a touch screen that depresses slightly when it is
pressed, RIM said, adding users will feel a soft click as the screen is
released.

"This clickable interface is like an engineering marvel," RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie said in an interview. "It is revolutionary."

Analysts have said that as RIM continues to push into the broader
consumer market, beyond the executives and other professionals that
have been its mainstay, it will see increased competition from other
handset makers. RIM has consistently brushed off such concerns and its
subscriber growth has backed up its confidence.

The Storm also comes preloaded with software for e-mail and managing
documents, as well as a media player for music, movies and photos. It's
also equipped with a 3.2 megapixel camera.

RIM did not announce a specific release date for the Storm, nor did it offer details on pricing.

The Storm's planned launch comes shortly after RIM said it will roll
out a flip-phone version of the BlackBerry to capture more of the
retail market.

Launching new, next-generation devices is squeezing RIM's gross
margins because of higher costs. And in order to keep luring new
subscribers, the company has to make sure its devices are priced
attractively.

That has limited the company's ability to pass along the higher costs of making new devices to its customers.